Radially expansible holder for tubular packages



June 4, 1963 l. U. JJJJJ ON 3,092,342

RADIALLY EXPANSIBLE HOLDER FOR TUBULAR PACKAGES IVAN ULYSSES JACKSON BY gkk .TW

TTORNEY June 4, 1963 Filed March 13, 1961 l. u. JACKSON 3,092,342

RADIALLY EXPANSIBLE HOLDER FOR TUBULAR PACKAGES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR IVAN U LYSSES JACKSON a: mag

ATTORNEY United States Patent 6 3,092,342 RADIALLY EXPANSIBLE HOLDER FOR TUBULAR PACKAGES Ivan Ulysses Jackson, Petersburg, Va., assignor to E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, DeL, a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 13, 1961, Ser. No. 95,151 Claims. (Cl. 242F462) This invention relates to the winding of strands, threads and the like into packages and more particularly to an improved apparatus for holding a tubular yarn package While a filament is wound thereon at high speeds.

in the textile industry, yarns, threads and other filimentary structures are often Wound on tubular packages which are removably supported on rotatable chucks. In order to achieve high winding speeds and for other purposes, it has been found practicable to rotate the chuckcore assembly by rolling contact with a drive roll. To hold the package in place on the chuck during the winding operation, it has been common practice to fabricate the chucks with spring-loaded members extending outwardly therefrom. However, such chucks have the disadvantage that they do not hold the tubular yarn package firmly at high speeds or, if the spring-loading is sufficient for this purpose, it becomes difiicult to position and remove the package in an efiicient manner. To overcome this difliculty, chucks have been designed with spring members which expand under the action of centrifugal force as the speed increases to hold the yarn package firmly in place. Although such chucks are satisfactory for winding at low or moderate speeds, when winding at high speeds, as is greatly desired, the chuck tends to become slightly eccentric and this is particularly undesirable when operating with surface contacting drive rollers.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved chuck for the winding of strands on cores at high speeds. Another object is to provide a chuck upon which the core may be easily positioned at the beginning of the winding operation and quickly and easily removed after the package is wound. A further object is to provide a chuck which holds the core securely at high speeds. A still further object is to provide a chuck which remains concentric at high operating speeds. Additional objects will become apparent as the invention is hereinafter described in detail.

The objects of this invention are accomplished by providing a chuck adapted to receive a tubular package, said chuck compri ing a spindle, a tubular housing rotatably telescoped on said spindle, a retainer mounted on said housing at each extremity thereof, two expander sleeves each slideably mounted on the tubular housing between said retainers and each provided with a peripheral surface tapered toward the center of the longitudinal axis of said chuck, spring means positioned in compressed engagement between at least one of the expander sleeves and the said retainers, and a tubular expansion member movably mounted over said housing, said tubular expansion member being provided with tapered extremities adapted to slideably engage the corresponding peripheral surface of the said expander sleeves and be held in position thereby.

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary end view of a traverse winding apparatus incorporating the chuck construction of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a cut-away perspective view of the winding chuck of this invention.

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal section of the winding chuck of FIGURE 2.

The traverse Winding apparatus shown in FIGURE 1 includes, as components thereof, a drive roll 1 and a swing arm 2 on which a chuck 3 is freely rotatable. The

3,932,342 Patented June 4, 1963 chuck has a tubular package 4 telescoped thereon and is driven by its rolling engagement with drive roll 1. In this manner, a filamentary structure 5 is Wound onto each package 4.

The present invention is directed primarily to the chuck construction best shown in FIGURE 3. In the embodiment chosen for illustration, support for the various operating parts of chuck 3 is furnished by a spindle 6, having extremities A and B, which is fixedly attached at extremity B to, and extends laterally from, the swing arm 2. Bearing assemblies 7 and 8 are located within the passage between the tubular housing 9 and the spindle 6. Bearing assembly 7 is retained against spindle shoulder 14 and housing shoulder 11 by snap rings 12 and 13 while bearing assembly 8 is retained against spindle shoulder 14 and snap ring 15 by fastening the spindle 6 to the outer surface of bearing 8 separated from the fastening means by snap ring 16. A circumferential guard 17 is provided near extremity B on spindle 6.

Spindle 6 carries a tubular housing 9 rotatably engaging bearing assemblies 7, 8. Two expander sleeves 18 and 19, each provided with tapered peripheral surfaces, are slideably mounted on tubular housing 9. A retainer 20 is mounted against tubular housing shoulder 21 and a retainer 22 is mounted on tubular housing 9 near extremity A and is held filmly in place by lock nut assembly 23. Expander sleeves 18 and 19 are provided with a plurality of receptacles adapted to receive coiled springs 24 and 25 positioned in compressed engagement between the expander sleeves and the receptacles. An expansion cylinder 26 provided with tapered extremities adapted to engage the corresponding tapered peripheral surfaces of expander sleeves l8 and 19* is fitted over tubular housing 9. The expansion cylinder 26 is provided with circumferential shoulders 27, 28 projecting from its inner surface which slideably engage holders 29 and 30 mounted on tubular housing 9. This permits sliding radial movement of the expansion cylinder but arrests axial movement. Flanged collars 31, 32 project from the inner surface of the expansion cylinder 26 to engage corresponding flanged collars 33, 34 mounted on tubular housing 9. The flanges provide a locking or holding means preventing radial movement of the expansion cylinder 26 away from the longitudinal axis of the chuck beyond the point where the flanges engage each other. The flanged collars 33, 34 also act as a stop to expander sleeves 18 and 19 by preventing axial movement one sleeve toward the other beyond the point where the sleeves engage the flanged collars. A circumferential stop 35 extending out radially is provided on the tubular housing 9 to abut one end of a tubular package 4 telescoped on chuck 3 and prevent further axial movement of the package in the direction from extremity A to extremity B.

Optionally, a plurality of elongated key springs 36 are detachably mounted in holders 29 and 30 and project through slots 37 (best shown in FIGURE 2). When this option is used, the key springs 36 also engage the inner surface of tubular package 4 (not shown in FIGURE 2) which is telescoped over the chuck.

In actual operation, a tubular package 4 is telescoped on chuck 3 to abut circumferential stop 35. In so doing, the expansion cylinder 26 is depressed against expander sleeves 18, 19. The tapered extremities of the expansion cylinder 26 which slideably engage the tapered peripheral surface of expander sleeves 18, 19 force each of the slideably mounted expander leeves to move toward the nearest chuck extremity, and further compress coiled springs 24, 25- against retainers 20, 22. The complementary force exerted by the compressed coiled springs in the expander sleeves 18, 19 when such a tubular package is telescoped on the chuck 3, then causes the expander sleeves to move along the longitudinal axis of the chuck toward one another. Movement of the expander sleeves 18-, 19 toward one another along the longitudinal axis of the chuck causes expansion cylinder 26, slideably mounted at its tapered extremities on the tapered peripheral surface of the expander blocks 18, 19, to move radially away from the axis of the chuck and into tight engagement with the tubular package 4. When the chuck is not in rotation,

centrifugal force is absent and only the force exerted by V the coiled springs 24, 25 is present; thus the tubular package may be easily removed from the chuck.

When the illustrated apparatus is placed in operation, there is a rolling contact between drive roll 1 and the chucks 3 or the packages 4 thereon. At low speeds the uniform forces exerted by the coiled springs 24,25 on the expander sleeves 18, 19' causes the expansion cylinder to firmly and uniformly engage a tubular package, as described in the preceding paragraph, and to initiate and preserve concentricity with regard to the relationship between chuck 3 and a tubular package or packages telescoped thereon. With the chuck body rotating at high speeds, the outer surface of the expansion cylinder 26 is held uniformly in tight frictional gripping engagement with the inner surface of the tubular package 4 by the centrifugal forces acting on the expansion cylinder 26 and by the forces exerted by the coiled springs 24, 25. Any, tendency of the tubular package to migrate on the chuck is precluded by the gripping action of the outer surface of the expansion cylinder. Due to the particular construction and design of the chuck described herein, a uniform gripping force is exerted on the tubular package and concentricity of assembly is thus maintained at both low and high speed operation.

Optionally, longitudinal key springs 36 may be attached to the housing holders 29, 30 or elsewhere on the tubular housing 9. Preferably these longitudinal springs are used when low speed winding operation is undertaken since the centrifugal force presented at high speed operation is greater than that present at low speed operation. The centrifugal force present at low speed operation may not be suificiently strong to overcome forces which might develop locally and which might be of suflicient magnitude to overcome the forces exerted by the coiled springs 24, 25. The longitudinal key springs 36 extend radially through slots 37 provided in expansion cylinder 26 to grip. the surface of the tubular package 4. Of course, the expansion cylinder also grips the inner surface of the tubular package when the longitudinal springs are employed; however, the longitudinal springs exert a greater degree of force against the inner wall of the package. Should forces develop during low speed operation, when little centrifugal force is present, which are sufli cient to overcome the forces exerted on the expansion cylinder by the coiled springs 24, 25, the longitudinal key springs 36 vact to hold the package in place.

' Although coiled springs may be inserted between both expander sleeves 1S and 19 and retainers 2i and 22, it is preferable in actual operation that only the expander sleeve and retainer located near extremity A be spring loaded.

The expander sleeves may be made of metal, plastic or reinforced resins but are preferably constructed from the latter material, a reinforced phenol-formaldehyderesin such as Micarta being most suitable. The tubular housing is preferably made of steel and the expansion cylinder may be easily constructed from an essentially rigid metal with tempered aluminum being preferred.

The chuck of this invention is primarily adapted for use as a spinning chuck in a textile windup operation wherein'a tubular yarn package is telescoped on the chuck and a filament or yarn is wound up upon the package;

however, its use is not intended to necessarily be so limited 7 since its utility can be evidenced in similar winding operations. The chuck construction can be modified to accommodate any practicable number of packages. It is also apparent that other changes and modifications may be made in the disclosed windup chuck without departing from the spirit of the present invention which is, therefore, intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Many other equivalent modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the above without a departure from the inventive concept.

What is claimed is:

1. A chuck adapted to receive a tubular package, said chuck comprising a spindle, a tubular housing rotatably telescoped on said spindle, two bearing assemblies mounted between the said housing and the said spindle at each extremity thereof, retainers mounted on the said housing at eachextremity thereof, two expander sleeves each slideably mounted on the said tubular housing and each provided with a peripheral surface tapered toward the center of the longitudinal axis of said chuck, a plurality of coiled springs positioned in compressed engage ment between said expander sleeves and said retainers, an expansion cylinder moveably telescoped on said expander sleeves, said expansion cylinder being provided with tapered extremities adapted for slideable engagement with the corresponding peripheral surface of the said cylinder sleeves and to be held in position thereby, a circumferential shoulder projecting from the said expansion cylinder intermediate its ends toward the longitudinal axis of said chuck, a pair of holders mounted on said housing, said holders being adapted for slideable en- 7 gagement with said shoulders to permit radial movement and to arrest axial movement of the said expansion cylinder, a pair of flanged collars projecting radially from the said expansion cylinder toward the said axis and a corresponding pair of flanged collars mounted on said housing and adapted for engagement with its corresponding flanged collar member mounted on said cylinder to restrict radial movement of the said expansion cylinder.

2. The chuck of claim 1 wherein a plurality of longitudinal key springs are detachably mounted on said tubular housing and wherein a plurality of longitudinal slots are provided in said expansion cylinder for receivingand allowing free radial passage therethrough to said key springs.

3. An improved chuck device adapted to receive a tubular object, said chuck device comprising a spindle, a tubular housing rotatably mounted on the said spindle, bearing means operatively positioned between said spindle and said tubular housing, retainer elements mounted on the said tubular housing at each extremity thereof, two expander sleeves each provided with a peripheral surface tapered toward the center of the device and the longitudinal axis of said chuck and each slideably mounted on the tubular housing between said retainer elements, spring means positioned in compressed engagement between said expander sleeves and said retainer elements, and a radially expandable tubular member telescoped over said expander sleeves and provided with tapered extremities adapted for slideable engagement with and radial positioning by said expander sleeves, said radially expandable tubular member and said tubular housing being further provided with corresponding radial abutment means operatively engaged to substantially prevent relative axial movement between said tubular housing and said tubular member while permitting radial movement of the said radially expandable tubular member.

4. The chuck device of claim 3 wherein the corresponding radial abutment means of the radially expandable tubular member comprises two circumferential shoulders and wherein the corresponding radial abutment means of the tubular housing comprises two'circumferential shoulders in engagement therewith.

5. A chuck adapted to receive a tubular package, said chuck comprising a spindle, a tubular housing rotatably telescoped on the said spindle, bearing surfaces between said spindle and said housing, retainers mounted on the said housing at each extremity thereof, two expander sleeves each provided with a peripheral surface tapered toward the center of the longitudinall axis of said chuck and each slideably mounted on the tubular housing bepressed engagement between the expander sleeves and the said retainers, an expansion cylinder moveably telescoped over said expander sleeves, said expansion cylinder being provided with tapered extremities adapted for slideable engagement with the corresponding peripheral 10 2,562,658

surface of said expander sleeves and to be held in posi- 2,705,111 tion thereby, said expansion cylinder being further pro- 2,717 ,128 vided with circumferential shoulders projecting inwardly 2,733,874

from the said expansion cylinder toward the longitudinal axis, and two circumferential holders projecting outwardly mounted on said tubular housing for slideable radial engagement with said circumferential shoulders to subtween said retainers, spring means positioned in com- 5 stantially prevent axial movement and to permit radial movement of the said expansion cylinder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Bonebrake July 31, 1951 Bruestle Mar. 29, 1955 Heizer Sept. 6, 1955 Petersen et al Feb. 7, 1956 

1. A CHUCK ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A TUBULAR PACKAGE, SAID CHUCK COMPRISING A SPINDLE, A TUBULAR HOUSING ROTATABLY TELESCOPED ON SAID SPINDLE, TWO BEARING ASSEMBLIES MOUNTED BETWEEN THE SAID HOUSING AND THE SAID SPINDLE AT EACH EXTREMITY THEREOF, RETAINERS MOUNTED ON THE SAID HOUSING AT EACH EXTREMITY THEREOF, TWO EXPANDER SLEEVES EACH SLIDEABLY MOUNTED ON THE SAID TUBULAR HOUSING AND EACH PROVIDED WITH A PERIPHERAL SURFACE TAPERED TOWARD THE CENTER OF THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID CHUCK, A PLURALITY OF COILED SPRINGS POSITIONED IN COMPRESSED ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN SAID EXPANDER SLEEVES AND SAID RETAINERS, AN EXPANSION CYLINDER MOVEABLY TELESCOPED ON SAID EXPANDER SLEEVES, SAID EXPANSION CYLINDER BEING PROVIDED WITH TAPERED EXTREMITIES ADAPTED FOR SLIDEABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CORRESPONDING PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF THE SAID CYLINDER SLEEVES AND TO BE HELD IN POSITION THEREBY, A CIRCUMFERENTIAL SHOULDER PROJECTING FROM THE SAID EXPANSION CYLINDER INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS TOWARD THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID CHUCK, A PAIR OF HOLDERS MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING, SAID HOLDERS BEING ADAPTED FOR SLIDEABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SHOULDERS TO PERMIT RADIAL MOVEMENT AND TO ARREST AXIAL MOVEMENT OF THE SAID EXPANSION CYLINDER, A PAIR OF FLANGED COLLARS PROJECTING RADIALLY FROM THE SAID EXPANSION CYLINDER TOWARD THE SAID AXIS AND A CORRESPONDING PAIR OF FLANGED COLLARS MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING AND ADAPTED FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH ITS CORRESPONDING FLANGED COLLAR MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID CYLINDER TO RESTRICT RADIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID EXPANSION CYLINDER. 